Ground size will be the main challenge on my first tour of Australia, reckons Suryakumar Yadav
Suryakumar Yadav has picked out the huge grounds in Australia as the biggest threat for him in the upcoming World T20 albeit he expressed confidence over the quick nature of wickets Down Under. The batter further explained where his unorthodox game stems from and how he approaches batting in T20Is.
Suryakumar Yadav has emerged as India's premier batsmen in the game's shortest format on the back of brilliant showings in the Indian Premier League season after season, helped guide his side Mumbai Indians to glory on multiple occassions. The 32-year-old's unorthodox batting approach and aggressive instinct make him a regular part of all highlight reels and have quickly ensured him a place in the hearts of fans across the world. Many legends of the past have gone so far to say he is the best T20I batter at the moment given his ability to hit shots all around the ground.
In an interview with the Times of India, the top-order batsman admitted the nature of his game roots from the days of rubber-ball cricket.
"I played a lot of rubber ball cricket in my colony (BARC) on hard, cement open spaces. Bowlers used to just chuck the ball. One side of the boundary used to be 90 to 95 metres and the other side would be 45 metres. All those scoops, upper cuts, flicks were learnt there seeing the dimensions of the ground. I never practised those shots in front of a bowling machine. It's all in my muscle memory and it comes out in games," he was quoted saying.
In October, Yadav faces the biggest challenge of his international career so far when he travels Down Under for the World T20. He will likely be entering the tournament as India's highest ranked batsman and potentially among the top three batsmen in the world. However, the Mumbaikar has never played in the country before nor has he plied his trade against the huge outfields in the island nation.
"This will be the first time I will be touring Australia. But I have spoken a lot with Rohit especially since the England series started, about the pitches and how the ball behaves. I enjoy playing on fast tracks. I feel my game is suited to fast and bouncy wickets. The challenge will be the size of the ground. We need to be smart there. I am preparing accordingly and trying to play straighter and adding more shots in front of the wicket. Hopefully, I can bring them into play," SKY revealed.
The Men in Blue will be relying on him strongly to enforce their newfound aggressive approach focused on taking the game to the opposition, especially when batting. Yadav often thrives in counter-attacking situations and has stated he likes to dictate proceedings in the middle.
"I try to walk into the ground with strong and energetic body language. When someone gets out, I try to run towards the pitch. In those 30 or 40 seconds, I get warmed up as well and the game plan starts ticking in my mind. I see the field and try to analyze what they are going to do. So when I face the first ball, if it's there to go out of the ground, it has to go out of the ground. That is how I like to stamp my authority. It works at times, and at times it doesn't. The intent is important from ball one. It's also important how you see the game. If it's 50 for 4, you can't just walk in and start hitting. But if it's 150 for 2, you have to go in and maintain the tempo. My mantra is simple, play the format and situation and if there's to hit, go for it, irrespective of the pitch," the talisman explained.
The batsman's next assignments are three-match T20I series against Australia and the Proteas, before kicking off the World T20 campaign against Pakistan on October 23.